Matthew 16:21-28

Albertville

Pent 16

August 31, 2008

“Finding Yourself

Rev. Michael A. Trask

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As a Pastor, I often get some rather clear messages from people on the expectations that they have for a church. In addition to the standard expectations that the church be loving and kind and merciful, which I can agree with whole-heartedly, there are more vexing expectations that have become evident; most of which center around personal convenience. For instance, I hear that church should be there for its members, but it dare not demand that it’s members be there for it! I also hear that the church should be completely dedicated to service; but it should avoid asking its members to serve too much. The church should offer a vast array of exciting programs for people in every stage of life, but do so on a limited budget and with very few volunteers.

Confusing isn’t it? How did we come to this? Of course, consumerism is partly to blame. We are so used to being looked upon as customers or patrons, that its hard not to carry those expectations into other venues like the church. I think also it might be a misunderstanding of the word church the New Testament Word for Church is Ecclesia...meaning assembly....meaning people. The church is people. The church is us! Therefore what expectations that we might harbor for the church, we must also harbor for ourselves. If we want the church to be dedicated, we should be dedicated. If we want the church to be there for us, we should be there for it. If we want the church to offer service, we should also be willing to serve.

The church is not like a store or a gas station where you can go to get what you need without any connection to it. The church is different. In today’s Gospel lesson Jesus asserts just how different it actually is: He says, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”.

Now there’s a deal breaker for many people! Can you hear the complaints of the modern man? “Jesus you’ve got to get a clue!” Say the people of today “People have had it up to here with commitments! We want a religion that is convenient and low maintenance. We don’t want a religion that asks them to change! We want a religion that affirms the choices we’ve already made and the life we are already living! We want a religion that is firmly committed to them but requires little or no commitment on our part!”

But, as you know, such sentiment is based on the notion that people always want what’s right. And we know that’s not true. People want a lot of things. But what they want is not always so good. What people want in a religion is not necessarily good and right and true! And think about it, if you designed a religion that fit ever personal requirement, you would end up worshipping yourself.

Deep down in our hearts, we know that we don’t want that. Deep down we know that we need something greater and bigger than ourselves! Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, he must DENY himself.” That’s good. That’s exactly what the doctor ordered. To truly follow Jesus, and to be truly spiritual we must come to the place where we say “It’s not about me! It’s not about my desires! It’s not about my wants! It’s not about my passions or predilections or opinions! It’s not about ME!”

In Today’s epistle lesson Paul takes this fundamental teaching of Jesus and applies it to the church in Rome and also the church in Albertville.. He says: “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love....Honor one another above yourselves (not about me) ... Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice Hospitatlity. (not about me) Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. (not about me) Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.” (not about me) You see? it’s just like Jesus said: “If anyone would come after me, he must Deny himself” We must be ready to say “It’s not about me.”

But but but.....that’s kind of a scary thing to say. Self denial seems like self betrayal! We don’t want to deny ourselves because we’re afraid of what might happen if we do. We don’t want to surrender our wants or passions or desires for fear of somehow being diminished down to nothing. “If I deny myself, then I will lose myself!” But Jesus says in the same text:: “whoever wants to save his life will lose it.” Oh man! He’s got us pegged! He’s got us cornered! He knows exactly what to say.

But do not fear, Jesus is not asking us to something that he himself was unwilling to do! When he came to earth he said, “It’s not about me” in big way. Think about it. Jesus who was God became one of us. He surrendered his Godly glory so that he could take our place under the law; when he did that he said “it’s not about me”. When he left the peaceful glory of heaven and landed in grubby urine soaked stable he said “it’s not about me.” And of course, as he felt the whip to his back and the nails in his hands and feet and the sting of death he said “it’s not about me....It’s about you guys” He denied himself and took up his cross so that we could be forgiven and saved for all eternity

But that was not the end of him. The denial of himself did not cause him to be lost. On the contrary, it was the denial of himself that made him greater than ever. For where is he now? Reigning in eternity; receiving all glory laud and honor. If he had not denied himself....you would have never heard of him. He would have been an also ran; a nobody; just one more self-centered/ self-interested person in a world of self-centered/self-interested people.

So By his example in his own life among us he shows us the true way to follow him. In his preaching and teaching he taught the same thing. In our text he said “Whoever wants to save his life will loose it but whoever loses his life for me will find it.” You find your life by losing it. You get your life giving it away. It’s true. Jesus proved it.

Are we hearing this? I hope we are and I hope we do. This church and the people in this church are a great bunch. I hear that a lot about you guys by the way. People say “The people in your church are so friendly.” Good job on that! But let’s imagine something more. Let’s imagine that we were not only friendly, but also more willing to set ourselves aside for the good of the whole. Let’s imagine what we could be by denying ourselves. You looking for meaning and purpose? That’s where you’ll find it.

Those of you who have kids, have you noticed the positive changes they’ve had on your life? Once you had kid, you had to begin denying yourself a lot. You talk to a parent of young children and ask “hey did you see such and such a movie, did you do this did you do that” And they respond “I have kids”. Suggesting that they don’t get to do what they might like to do. They have to deny themselves. At first they might not have liked it, but as the years pass and they consider what they have gained from the experience denying themselves how they’ve become more patient, empathetic, concerned, and the like they wouldn’t trade the experience. Those who refuse to experience this are bad parents. They lost a bit of their former selves but they gained a whole lot more. That’s what I’m talking about. That’s what Jesus is talking about when he said “Deny yourself.”. That’s what he means when he say he who wishes to save his life will lose it. AMEN